Colorism and Physical Health: Evidence from a National Survey

Abstract

This study uses nationally representative data to extend a steadily growing body of research on the health consequences of skin color by comparatively examining the consequences of perceived ingroup and outgroup skin color discrimination (perceived colorism) for physical health among African Americans. Using a comprehensive set of measures of physical health, I find that perceived ingroup colorism is significantly associated with worse physical health outcomes among African Americans. Notably, the magnitude of ingroup colorism’s associations with most of these outcomes rivals or even exceeds that of major lifetime discrimination, everyday discrimination, and perceived outgroup colorism. These findings compellingly suggest the inclusion of perceived colorism measures in future survey data collection efforts.

The sum of all parts: A multi-level exploration of racial and ethnic identity formation during emerging adulthood

“…The social ecological framework integrates influences from the individual, interpersonal, community and structural levels. It also emphasizes that these levels interact with one another, and that interaction of factors is as important as each individual level [7]. Building on the use of the social ecological model, the conceptual framework also incorporates the life course framework.…”

The Effects of Skin Tone on the Perception of Discrimination in Young African American Women

“…Some of the negative coping strategies can physically or mentally affect the body leading to health issues such as depression or anxiety for both men and women (e.g., Borrell et al, 2006;Pascoe & Richman, 2009). Yet the effects of colorism in healthcare settings are largely unexplored in psychological literature, even though there is some evidence that dark skin is associated with poorer outcomes in mental health (e.g., Oh et al, 2021;Williams & Williams-Morris, 2000) and physical health (e.g., Keyes et al, 2020;Landor & McNeil Smith, 2019;Monk, 2021;Sweet et al, 2007). Therefore, this study also addressed the effects of colorism in various settings, including healthcare.…”

Genetic admixture and cardiovascular disease risk in postmenopausal Hispanic women

“…The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study included both men and women, also the proportion of AFR ancestry in people of Puerto Rican heritage is higher than that of the other Hispanic heritage groups included in the WHI so the contribution of the AFR ancestry to the development of CVD could differ within Hispanic heritage-groups 24 . Regarding the effect of AFR ancestry over the risk of CVD, it has been previously reported that a substantial proportion of the effect of AFR ancestry over the risk of disease can be attributed to socioeconomic and cultural factors like barriers to access to health care, racism, and discrimination, among others 14,25 . A study that involved 87 adults from Puerto Rico evaluated if African ancestry or a social classification of skin pigmentation (color: blanco or white, the intermediate category trigueño, and negro or black) better predicts blood pressure.…”